Dear all,
Generally it is important to distinguish between a lost ViennaKey and a broken ViennaKey.
Additionally to the official information in our Terms of License (§5 and §6), here's a summary of how we handle the unfortunate case a ViennaKey (or any other eLicenser USB key) is reported as lost or broken:
If a ViennaKey breaks within the warranty period (two years) without extraneous cause, the user gets a new ViennaKey and the new license(s) free of charge. That's why we recommend to purchase a new key every two years. The two year warranty starts with the date of purchase of the ViennaKey, so please store your invoice at a safe place.
In case the warranty period has expired, or if the user damages a ViennaKey, he will of course have to pay for the new ViennaKey and a handling fee for the new license(s) (EUR 20 per contained license). This fee is necessary as we ourselves also have to pay fees to eLicenser for every replacement license we issue.
Broken eLicenser USB keys other than ViennaKeys will have to be returned to the respective issuing company, in regards to warranty claims for the key. As for the licenses however, we don't distinguish if VSL licenses are on a broken/lost ViennaKey or another eLicenser USB key.
In case of a lost license, we meet our users halfway in this situation by replacing the license for 50% of the full price in case they're not insured.
If a lot of licenses are on a broken or lost key, we'll find a solution on an individual basis with the user.
The quickest and easiest temporary solution if you find yourself in an unfortunate situation like this is to buy a new ViennaKey (or other eLicenser USB key). We can then send you a demo license which enables you to bridge at least some time until the order of the replacement license is processed. Of course it's not a bad idea to have a spare key in your studio, to ensure that you have no downtime at all in the event of a lost or broken key.
While we totally understand that both scenarios are a cause for concern, we do our best to help customers that find themselves in this unfortunate situation in every way we can, while at the same time protecting our (and your!) investment in our products. We HAVE to make sure that there are no possibilities for fraud when users report to have lost or damaged their key.
Many ideas for improvement have been discussed in previous threads, and we are considering all technically and legally possible improvements together with the provider of this protection system, eLicenser (owned by Steinberg). The description above explains our current position.
Best,
Stefan